Egypt's storied seaside city, founded by Alexander the Great.
Alexandria tours trace the Mediterranean city founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. For centuries it was one of the great cities of the ancient world, home to the fabled Library and the Pharos lighthouse — one of the Seven Wonders. Today it is Egypt's second city, strung along a curving seafront corniche with a character all its own.
Most visitors come from Cairo, around three hours away by road or high-speed train, which makes Alexandria a popular day trip. The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the site of the ancient lighthouse, and the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina revives the memory of the lost Library, alongside Roman catacombs, Pompey's Pillar and famous seafront seafood.
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Top attractions
Greek, Roman and modern Egypt layered along one Mediterranean seafront — all within a comfortable day from Cairo.
A 15th-century fort guarding the harbour, built on the very site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse.
A striking modern library and cultural centre reviving the legacy of the ancient Library of Alexandria.
A multi-level Roman-era necropolis blending Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, rediscovered by chance in 1900.
A towering Roman triumphal column beside the ruins of the Serapeum temple.
The long seafront promenade, ending at the royal gardens and palace of Montaza to the east.
Alexandria is famous across Egypt for fresh Mediterranean seafood eaten right by the water.
Explore the city
A Mediterranean capital of memory, where the ghosts of the ancient world meet a lively modern seafront.
The harbour
The fortress of Qaitbay guards the entrance to the eastern harbour, its pale walls rising straight from the sea.
It stands on the exact spot where the Pharos lighthouse — one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world — once warned ships off the coast.
The seafront city
Alexandria curves for miles along a breezy corniche, its cafés and faded villas looking out over the Mediterranean.
The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Roman catacombs and Pompey's Pillar keep the city's Greek and Roman past close to the surface.
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Plan your visit
With its Mediterranean setting, Alexandria is milder than the rest of Egypt — pleasant in spring and autumn, hot but sea-cooled in summer, and cool and sometimes rainy in winter.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable times to walk the corniche and explore the sites.
Getting around
Alexandria is around three hours from Cairo by road or high-speed train (roughly 220 km northwest), which makes it a popular day trip or overnight from the capital.
Borg El Arab Airport, west of the city, handles a growing number of international flights for travellers heading straight to the coast.
